Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
Muscat: Road projects in the Governorate of North Al Sharqiyah constitute 11.6 per cent of the total length of asphalt roads currently being constructed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications in a number of governorates.
The second part of the first phase of the Bidbid-Sur dual carriageway project is one of the most prominent road projects currently being implemented in the governorate.
Some projects were completed in 2016 and others are still underway, pointing out that the projects underway have been included in the ministry’s plan for this year, said Salim bin Mohammed Al-Nu’aimi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for Transport.
He added that one of the most prominent projects currently under construction in North Al Sharqiyah is parts of the Bidbid-Sur dual carriageway project.
“This project passes through the Wilayats of Al Mudhaibi, Ibra and Al Qabil, and some parts of it have been opened for traffic. The project will be completed in 2017, including 24 kilometres (km) during the first phase’s first part, 10 km during the second part of the first phase, 77 km for the first part of the second phase, and 56 km for the second part of the second phase.”
Regarding the landslides recently reported at the project site, Al Nu’aimi pointed out that the ministry had assigned experts from three companies to conduct research and study the causes behind these landslides, and the results of these studies were similar.
“The ministry is currently striving to come up with the most appropriate solution to this problem. One of the solutions is to build a tunnel in the area where the landslides occurred,” he explained.
He added that the ministry would focus primarily on opening the main line of the project in both directions, while the companies are continuing to complete the bridges and intersections and open them up to traffic.
The first phase of construction for all bridges and intersections, such as Masroun, Al Thabti and Sumerah and other bridges, is expected to be completed in April, along with the completion of 10 km of the second part of the first phase. “The ministry is seeking to complete the entire work on the first phase, including in the Al Uqq area and parts of the first portion of the second phase, which has a length of about 200 km in early 2018,” Al Nu’aimi affirmed.
“There is also another important project being implemented in the Governorate of North A’Sharqiyah, namely the Sinaw-Mahout-Al Duqm Road, which the ministry opened recently. About 109 km of the 181.4 km-long road, which represents 60 per cent of the project, has been opened.
The project is divided into two parts, the first part is 81 km long, of which 72 km was opened and the second part is 100 km long, of which a 37 km stretch has been opened. Hopefully the project will be completed during 2017, including a 9.4 km stretch remaining in the first part and the 63 km from the second part,” Al Nu’aimi noted.
He further pointed out that this project is one of the important and strategic projects in the Sultanate, as it links the economic zone of Duqm in the Governorate of Al Wusta to the Governorate of South and North A’Sharqiyah, as well as the capital Muscat.
Al-Nu’aimi added that this vital road will bring direct benefits for the residents of villages and areas through which the road will pass, and will boost progress in the tourism, economic, commercial and social sectors of the country.
He concluded by revealing that the ministry had completed a number of projects in 2016, most notably the 13 km-long Samad Al Shan-Wadi Endam Road in the Wilayat of Al Mudhaibi, which cost of OMR2,280,000.
